With the regular season opener just two days away, the Ducks went through a spirited, up-tempo practice this morning at Honda Center, and head coach Bruce Boudreau said he was pleased with the effort.

“You could tell the guys were looking forward to the season starting,” he said. “It was so much more upbeat than the last couple in training camp. I was pretty happy with it.”

With the preseason done with, defenseman Francois Beauchemin said the team’s mindset is now focused solely on Wednesday’s road contest against the Colorado Avalanche.

“We had some really good practices,” he said. “We worked on some stuff we needed to. Now it’s all about going to Colorado and being ready to go for game one.”

Beauchemin’s story is quite remarkable, having undergone ACL surgery in the offseason. Now, a little more than four months after the operation, there’s a good chance Beauchemin plays on Wednesday. The 33-year-old said rest has been instrumental in his recovery process.

“It’s amazing what one day off makes,” he said. “I took one day off Thursday and felt great. I had yesterday off, and today was a really good day. Going through an injury like I did, a day off is really the key to make sure you recover well.”

SILFVERBERG SKATES
Jakob Silfverberg skated with the team for the first time since leaving Anaheim’s September 22 preseason game against the Avalanche with a lower-body injury. Today, Silfverberg skated on a line with Teemu Selanne and Peter Holland.

“I felt good,” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting the conditioning. I’ve been off the ice for about a week now. Other than that, I feel just fine. Get a good couple practices now, and I’m ready. Definitely ready [for Wednesday].”

THE 411 ON PERREAULT
The Ducks acquired center Mathieu Perreault from the Washington Capitals yesterday in exchange for John Mitchell and a fourth-round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft. Having coached Perreault during his time with the Capitals, Boudreau briefed the media on what to expect from the 25-year-old forward.

“As a player, he’s not a big guy,” he said. “He’s 175 pounds soaking wet. But he’s got great quickness. Not overall speed, but from spot to spot, he’s very quick. He’s got a keen eye for the puck, he can make plays, he’s an exciting player, and he’s really good on the forecheck. His faceoffs are hit-and-miss, but he’s not bad on it.

“We just thought he could really help our team, and help our power play on the second unit,” Boudreau said. “He was part of that power play that was 26 percent last year. Considering they play the same way we do, he should know where his position is.”

Perreault is expected to practice with the Ducks tomorrow morning.

ROSTER MOVESThe Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has made the following roster moves: